robins



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet, T. ROBINS, Jr.

GONVEYER BELT APPARATUS. No. 571,604. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

Witnesses Inveman fittomey (N0 Medei.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

T. ROBINS, Jr.

CONVEYER BELT APPARATUS.

No 571,604. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

Nina's/es k 1 Inventor. 4 QZM%% wfiv fitter/veg.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETQE.

THOMAS ROBINS, .IR., NEIV YORK, N. Y.

CONVEYER-BELT APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,604, dated November 17, 1896. Application filed September 19, 1896- Serial No. 606,311. (No model.)

To azliuhom it may; concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ROBINS, Jr. of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyer-Belt Apparatus, of which the following is a description, referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention includes the details of the belt itself and of all the carrying-pulleys upon which it runs.

So far as the invention relates to the belt itself it is closely connected with my prior patent of June 1-3, 1893, No. $9,472, forming in certain aspects an improvement upon that patent. In my prior patent I described a belt composed of a facing of rubber or other suitable wearing material, which presented in cross-section a thickcentral portion and thinner or attenuated side portions, by means of which the life and wear of the belt may be increased to the maximum for a given amount of material. The wear, coming more upon the middle of the facing than upon the edges, cuts away the middle portion at a f. r greater rate than the side portions. Furthermore, the ore or other material is usually delivered with considerable drop or velocity against the middle portion of the belt, and the greater yielding of my thickened portion of the facing receives the ore with less injury to the belt than if the wearing-face were thinner and consequently less yielding. I have found that there are some difficulties presented in the use of a belt which is thicker at the central portion than at the side portions, for in running over the pulleys the edges of the belt frequently rub against the side rollers and sometimes are turned or curled over by this action. Moreover, the wear consequent ,upon the rubbing of the belt against the side rolls wears away and roughens the edges of the belt, and may in some instances even cause tearing or other injury.

The present improvement preserves all the advantages of my former patent and at the same time gives to the belt a maximum thickness of the facing material at the center of the belt, while the two edges of the belt possess the maximum stiffness, so that they may be turned up by means of the pulleys and form a trough. having a sufficiently flexible bottom combined with stiff, tough, upturned sides or edges. These stiff edges extend from pulley to pulley with hardly perceptible sag. My improved pulleys are so designed that the edges may be properly held in turned-up p0 sition, while less friction and resultant wear of the belt, combined with decrease of required driving-power and increase of life and economy in the pulleys them selves, is obtained.

The invention is of so simple a nature that it will be readily understood from a description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one preferred embodiment of it.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the belt of my earlier patent as in use upon the supporting-pullcys Fig. .2 shows the complete present invention in use. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the belt on a somewhat enlarged scale. Fig. at shows a well-kn own form of trough-pulley. Fig. 5 shows myimproved pulleys.

Throughout the drawings like letters of reference indicate like parts.

The canvas or other backing portion of the belt is lettered B and the more elastic facing O. In the belt shown in Fig. 3 the center of the belt consists of four plies of canvas and rubber, suitably vulcanized, and a wearin g-facin g G of softer rubber and equal or greater thickness than the backing at that point. Near the extreme edges of the belt Z) it will be seen that the canvas plies are doubled by the turning back of the edges of two or more of the plies, so that at these points the belt is six-ply. The bottom ply is turned back and extends only to fhe'point of b,while the next ply extends somewhat farther at each side of the belt to the points I)". The total thickness of the belt is uniform or nearly uniform throughout, the rubber facing C being very much reduced where the canvas is thickest at c. The intermediate portions of the facing between the edges of the plies Z) Z), as at c, are of a thickness about double the thickness at the points 0 and considerably thinner than the central portion. Such a belt is very flexible between the points I) b, and near the edges 0 c it is comparatively stifi, so that when in position on the pulleys, as shown in Fig. 2, the belt possesses the advantages of forming a trough having stiff sides and a flexible bottom, allowing it to con-. form readily to the, pulleys. The stiif edges or sides of the belt, in addition to improving the action of the belt, obviate the danger of the curling over or tearing at the edges by contact against the side guides or pulleys P and prevent the sagging down between pulleys. Comparing this belt with Fig. 1,it will be seen that the belt of Fig. 1 is stiifest at the central portions, and the extreme edges are the weakest points. On the other hand, the belt of Figs. 2 and 3 ,presents the same increased thickness of wearing-surface at the center as does Fig. 1, combined with stiffness of the edges and great flexibility between edges a d center, as. at. c- It must not be. nderstood; that he p e en i n ion is in ny W y limitedto any precise number of plies, of canvas or to. the use of any particularkind or quality of material, nor is it necesthat the belt should be the same total thickness; at all; points.

n joining he enclso naymproved c01 veyer-belt to make it a continuous or endless. belt I prefer to use the method for whichli hare a ready obtained patent, and: which consistsin bringingthe two ends. ofxthe belt together and fitting the plies. and the rubber surface. carefully'together in, themanner of a SQL1 f or other tapered joint, and then, after applying suitable cement, vulcanizing the joints by means of heat and pressure, asby the use of steam-heated clamping devices. The joint when; soformed is of equal thickness and Of equal strength to. the rest of the belt, and if vulcanized in a manner similarto that employed in the manufacture of the belt it produces, a true endless, belt, which is as little affected at thev joint by moisture,

heat, and other influences asat other points in the length of thebelt. Such a belt isparticularly valuable for conveying liquids or sem-i1i'q.uids

The wear, loss of power, and expense of runningis further reduced. by my. improved pulleys. (Shown in Fig. 5 and; diagrammatically inllig. 2,while Fig. 4 shows 'theform now incom non, use.) On Fig. 4. I have in.-. dicated-that the diameter at themiddle of the roller is eight inches, whilethat of the. ends is. twenty. If, then, the belt. restsv with true rolling-contact without slip on the middle of the roller, thereis a slip. of one foot between each edge of thebelt and rollerfor eaeheightinehesof travel. In practice there will be slip at both the middle and the edges, thepoints of no, slip being at about Z. The slip: at the oenteigtherefore, is aboutv four inches. for each foot, oftravel, and the slip: at the edgesabout eight inches. for eaclrfoot. An; enormous amount of power is, thereby lost and great wearingof the belt is caused.

In Figs, 2 and 5; only true. rolling-contact is possible, as the pulleys are each of equal diameter at all points.

One preferred fornr of my improved pul.-. ley-mountingis as follows: The'braokets F and G, Fig. 5, are secured to a transverse plank or support, as H. Thesebrackets F are cast hollow. The angle or turn-up shafts J and the shaft of pulley K are preferably of double, extra-heavy, one-inch Wrought-iron pipe, turned smooth and driven or tapped into. the brackets 1 Grease cups Q are tapped into the ends of the turn-up shafts. A small hole in theside of the shaft J allows the oil or grease to pass into the pulley bearings. All the pulleys L K L turn freely on theirshafts. Special provision may be made for conducting theoil to the center pulley. Thus I have shown a small oil-pipe R, extending from just below the grease-cup iinto the shaft of the. center idler K. The goil from the. cup: feedssimultaneously into ithe-shaftJ andstube. The return-idlers M are mou nted on asolid steel shaft N, which turns. in the end bearings Gt. Thebearings are a simple, form of ball-and-sooket type, the. outershells of which are cast in two. pieces without coring. Oiling is acconv ,plished by the. oil-.tubesg, which. rundown through the supportH intothe. bearings G1. :Small plugsmay close the upper end of these itubes. to keep out dust. The. angle of the iturn-u-pshafts may varyat will", from thirty 1 degrees. to forty-five degrees. being advantageous inmostcases. So, also, the-dimensions of the several parts: may be proportioned to suit requ-nements. I donot mean to limit myself to the. details. shown, but have de scr ibed What I" considierthepreferable form of my invention. In Fig. 5 lihave omitted the idlelfs. P" of Fig. 2;. Theseimay-be mounted 1 and used: wherevera tendency of the belt to work off one of thesidieipul-l'eys L i'sobserved. Having, now. fully set forth my improvement gin one of" its preferred forms Without enumerating anyof the modifications which may be made bymere skill inthe. art andwrithout departing from the principlesv of the. invenitio'n, I claim, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent of theUnited States, thefoh. glowing: 1. As article: of; manufacture, the conjveyer-belt having-a wearing-face thicker at ;the.central portions andthinner at the side :portions, and. combined with a backing-which jisthicker at the side portions and thinner-at ,the central: portions, substantially as set ;forth.

2. As. an. article of manufacture, a belt for @conyeyers. and other-uses presentingin crossjsection, a wearing-face, and a body portion gorbackingwhich is thicker at the-edges and thin-nerand more flexible at one or more points nearer to the, middle of thebelt, the belt thuscombiningrelatively stiif: edges with one or more: relatively flexible pointsbetweenthe edges, substantially asset forth.

3. A conveyerbelt consistingof abacking andafacingivh-ich has a thickened central portion, the said belt having stiffened edges or side-portions, substantially as set forth.

4. Aconveyer-belt of; approximately uni ings suitably supported, the horizontal pulley mounted between them, the turn-up shafts secured in the said brackets or castings, and I 5 the pulleys L loosely turning thereon, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand this 18th day of September, 1896.

THOMAS ROBINS, JR.

Witnesses GEORGE H. SONNEBORN, THOMSON I-I. PALMER 

